2. Yellow copy - goes to the funeral director or person who is arranging burial or cremation. They are responsible for sending it to the Registrar along with the Death Registration Statement.

3. Blue copy - retained by the doctor.

Data collection

Information on a death certificate is a primary source for gathering Australian mortality statistics. After a death is registered, BDM sends thecertificate to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Adding a court appointed guardian to a child's death record

Identification tags

An ID tag with the person’s full name and place of death - written in permanent ink - must be securely attached to the deceased before their body can be moved.

The ID tag can be completed by:

the doctor responsible for medical care immediately before death

another person who personally knew the deceased

a person who is otherwise able to confirm the identity of the deceased.

The ID tag must be large enough to display the name and place of death, and of appropriate material so it can be written on in permanent ink and cannot easily be removed from the body.

The tag needs to be attached to the left arm of the deceased. If this is not practical, attach it to the next position in the following order:

right arm

left leg

right leg

other part of the bodily remains.

Early loss of pregnancy

Early loss of pregnancy commemorative certificates are available for parents who have delivered at less than 20 weeks gestation or if the gestation weight was less than 400 grams if dates can’t be confirmed.